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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — from a university
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — to be able to
  15. swing — to play on
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. swing — in golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com